Senior Optical Systems Engineer – LiDAR & Optics

Lumotive; Redmond (WA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental and vision

FSA/HSA

PTO + holidays

401K with company match

Stock options

Life insurance and disability

Job summary

Lumotive is pursuing a new Optical Systems Engineer to advance its LiDAR program in a startup environment. You will work hands‑on across optics, electronics, and software to build, test, debug, and refine hardware in the lab, under senior technical direction.

You will collaborate with hardware, optics, firmware, and software teams to implement LCM‑based lidar systems, build test stations, run system‑level tests, and develop Python automation for calibration and characterization.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Optical Engineering, Physics, or related field; 2+ years of relevant work experience.
• Advanced degree preferred.
• Working experience in optoelectronic or photonic systems integration and debug.
• Python skills for automation, control, and data analysis.
• Familiarity with Git, Unix environments, and embedded systems.
• Exposure to system integration, optoelectronics, and cross‑domain debugging.
• Exposure to designing or building test, assembly, or calibration stations, including fixture design and test automation.
• Working familiarity with lasers, photodetectors, and optoelectronic component characterization.
• Experience with lidar systems preferred; radar or ultrasound experience is also acceptable.
• Ability to apply established calibration, optimization, and signal‑processing approaches following defined procedures.
• Good communication skills; comfortable building working relationships across teams.

Responsibilities

• Support the implementation of LCM‑based lidar system and transmitter designs within established architecture and technical direction, contributing to the build and test of reference designs.
• Build test stations and fixtures for system‑level test, assembly, and calibration, supporting bring‑up through production.
• Execute system‑level test campaigns to characterize and validate lidar performance across development and production builds.
• Build and maintain Python‑based automation and measurement tools for characterization and calibration of system and optoelectronic components.
• Debug systems and transmitters — including electronics, optics, and embedded processing and control algorithms.
• Participate in hardware and system design reviews, providing input on system integration, testability, and robustness.
• Report on system performance and test results, presenting data, methods, and conclusions clearly to the internal technical team.

Skills

Python

Git

Unix

Embedded systems

Lidar

Photodetectors

Optelelectronics

Test automation

System integration

Debugging

Calibration

Signal processing

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Optical Engineering, Physics, or related field

Advanced degree preferred

Tools

Laser characterization tools

Test fixtures

Job description

Lumotive is pursuing a new Optical Systems Engineer to advance its LiDAR program in a startup environment. You will work hands‑on across optics, electronics, and software to build, test, debug, and refine hardware in the lab, under senior technical direction.

You will collaborate with hardware, optics, firmware, and software teams to implement LCM‑based lidar systems, build test stations, run system‑level tests, and develop Python automation for calibration and characterization.